Improvements to arrangements for controlling the guidance of a mineral mining plough

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for controlling the guidance of a mineral winning plough movable along one side of a conveyor. Control members in the form of leaf springs are disposed between the other side of the conveyor and a roof support assembly. The leaf springs are slidably received in a tubular housing suspended from the props of the assembly by means of independently operable hydraulic piston and cylinder units. The units are connected in an articulated manner to the housing to permit the springs to assume various angular control positions.

D United States Patent [151 3,640,58 1 Rassmann et al. 1 Feb. 8, 1972 [54] IMPROVEMENTS TO ARRANGEMENTS [56] References Cited FOR CONTROLLING THE GUIDANCE UNITED STATES PATENTS OF A MINERAL MINING PLOUGH 2,696,374 12/1954 Lobbe ..299/34 [72] inventors: Christoph I Lune; willy y 2,910,282 10/1959 Barrett .6l/45 D Bochum-Gerthe, both of Germany FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS I73] Assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia. 1,290,507 3/1969 Germany ..299/32 Wcthmar near Lunen, Westfalia, Germany Primary Examiner-Emest R. Purser [22] Filed: Feb. 13, I970 Attomey-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [2i] Appl. No.: 11,244 [57] ABSTRACT An arrangement for controlling the guidance of a mineral [30] Foreign Application Priority Data winning plough movable along one side of a conveyor. Control members in the form of leaf springs are disposed between the Feb. 20, Germany other side of the conveyor and a roof pp The leaf springs are slidably received in a tubular housing U-S. suspended from the props of the means of inde. [51] Int. Cl. ..E2lc 25/56 p ndently operable hydraulic piston and cylinder units. The [58] Field of Search ..299/32, 34, 43; 61/45 D units are connected in an articulated manner to the housing to permit the springs to assume various angular control positions.

16 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures IMPROVEMENTS TO ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONTROLLING THE GUIDANCE OF A MINERAL MINING PLOUGII BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Mineral mining installations employing arrangements to control the guidance of a plough along a conveyor are known. In general the uncontrolled movement of a plough along a conveyor will cause a variable mass of mineral to be left at the floor of the seam being won. If the plough cuts downwardly into the floor, this involves unnecessary consumption of power, premature wear of the cutting tools and contamination of the won mineral. If a large mass of mineral remains attached to the floor, however, because the plough cuts upwardly away from the floor this results in loss of output and in addition, it is difficult to move the plough back again over this mass.

An installation having a plough guided along a conveyor is known in which the plough can be guided in such a way that it will at all times move accurately along the floor of the seam.

To this end the guide rail for the plough is connected to the props of a movable support assembly in such a way as to be adjustable as regards its vertical and its angular position. More particularly, the props nearest the mineral face are provided with a sleeve which can be raised and lowered. The plough guide rail or the conveyor carrying the rail is resiliently connected to this sleeve. In addition, a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit is disposed between the conveyor and the sleeve. By adjusting the vertical position of the sleeve and also the extension of the hydraulic unit it is then possible for the guide rail for the plough to be adjusted to a certain variable angle in respect of the floor as is desired.

In this installation the conveyor and the plough guide rail can only be shifted towards the face if the support assembly is moved at the same time. This is a disadvantage since the nature of the roof may preclude this continual operation of setting and robbing the assembly.

A general object of this invention is to overcome this disadvantage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided an arrangement for controlling the guidance of a plough movable along one side of a conveyor which is operably associated with a roof support assembly, said arrangement comprising a) at least one control member connected between the other side of the conveyor and said assembly and b) means connecting said member to the assembly and adapted to permit said member to assume various angular positions in relation to the assembly.

By varying the position of the guide rail through the control member the plough guidance can be controlled. In addition however the conveyor can be moved towards a mineral face independently of the support assembly and in accordance with the progress of the mining work. It is sufficient if the assembly is likewise moved up towards the face from time to time after several movements of the conveyor.

According to a further feature of the invention the means is in the form of a housing slidably receiving said member, the housing being connected to the support assembly through two joints displaced from one another longitudinally of the housing, each connection joint being independently displaceable in relation to the assembly.

According to a further feature of the invention the assembly has two props and a piston and cylinder unit is attached to each prop, the units being operable independently of one another and being connected to the housing through said connection joints.

Two control members are preferably provided, each member being in the form of a leaf spring connected to the conveyor by means of a connecting shoe rigidly affixed to the conveyor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A constructional embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a part sectional side view of an installation made in accordance wit the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the installation shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawing a conveyor 10 is provided with a guide rail 12 on its coal face side. A plough, not shown, is guided on the rail 12 and moved back and forth along the coal face 11 to detach coal from the face, the detached coal being collected by the conveyor 10 in the known manner.

The roof 13 of the mine working is supported by a movable support assembly having two telescopic props 14, 15 and a roof bar 16 composed of articulatedly interconnected parts.

The plough movement is controlled by an arrangement capable of moving the guide rail 12 and the conveyor 10 into various angular positions in respect of the floor 17 of the working. This arrangement is composed of two control members 18 which are slidably received in an approximately tubular housing 19, disposed at the goaf side of the conveyor 10. The members 18 are in the form of leaf springs 18' and 18". The leaf springs 18', 18" extend into and are retained within a connecting shoe 20 which, in its turn, is rigidly connected to the conveyor 10 by means of two connecting pins 21 and 22. The two springs 18, 18" are thus connected to the conveyor 10 through the shoe 20.

The housing 19, in its turn, is suspended from the props I4, 15 of the support assembly by means of hydraulic piston and cylinder units 23 and 24. In this particular construction each cylinder of the units 23 and 24 extends through an aperture 25 in the upper part of the housing 19 and is pivotably connected to a shackle joint 27 disposed on the inside of the lower part of the housing 19. The two leaf springs 18' and 18" extend on both sides of the two units 23 and 24, inside the housing 19 with adequate clearance (FIG. 2) to ensure that the springs 18' and 18 can also be adjusted without difficulty longitudinally of the housing 19.

By extending the guide members 18, i.e., the springs I8 18" out of the housing 19 the conveyor 10 can be moved independently of the support assembly and this can be carried out in accordance with the progress of the mining work. The support assembly and the housing 19, can in due course be moved up towards the conveyor 10 so that the members 18 retract within the housing 19. By operating the units 23, 24 together or independently of one another the guide rail 12 can be urged into various positions to control the guidance of the plough mounted thereon.

In the event of any appreciable dip in the working it may be desirable for the guide members 18 to be made torsionally rigid and for the units 23 and 24 to be supported on the assembly in such a way that the conveyor cannot slip in the direction of the dip.

It is to be noted that the units 23 and 24 can be supported in any desired manner on the support assembly and the construction of the support assembly itself is likewise immaterial so far as the invention is concerned.

We claim:

1. An arrangement for adjusting and controlling the guidance of a plough movable along one side of a conveyor operably associated wit a roof support assembly; comprising:

a. at least one control member disposed between the other side of the conveyor and said assembly;

b. means rigidly connecting said member to the other side of the conveyor, and

c. means connecting said member to the assembly in such manner as to permit said member to be vertically displaced at the assembly to thereby cause said member and the conveyor to assume various angular positions in relation to the assembly.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein two control members are provided, each control member being in the form of a leaf spring.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes a housing slidably receiving said member, the housing being attached to the support assembly through two joints spaced apart longitudinally of the housing, each joint being independently displaceable in relation to said assembly.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said connecting means further comprises piston and cylinder units each attached to one of the props of the support assembly, the units being operable independently of one another and being connected to said housing through said joints.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said control member is in the form of a leaf spring.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control member is resilient.

7. An arrangement for controlling the guidance of a plough movable along one side of a conveyor operably associated with a roof support assembly; comprising:

a. at least one control member connected between the other side of the conveyor and said assembly;

b. a housing slidably receiving said member, and

c. means connecting said housing to the support assembly,

(:1. said connecting means comprising two joints spaced apart longitudinally of the housing, and

e. each joint being independently displaceable in relation to the assembly.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein two control members are provided, each member being in the form of a leaf spring.

9. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said connecting means has piston and cylinder units each attached to one of the props of the support assembly, the units being operable independently of one another and being connected to said housing through said joints.

10. A mineral mining installation comprising:

a. a conveyor;

b. a guide rail carried at one side of the conveyor and adapted to receive and guide a plough;

c. a movable support assembly; d. at least one control member for controlling the guidance of the plough, said member being disposed between the support assembly and the other side of the conveyor;

e. means rigidly connecting said member to the conveyor;

and

f. means connecting said member to the assembly so as to pennit the member to be vertically displaced at the assembly to assume various angular positions.

11. An installation according to claim 10, wherein two'control members are provided, each control member being in the form of a leaf spring.

12. An installation according to claim 10, wherein said connecting means includes a housing slidably receiving said control member, the housing being attached to the support assembly through two joints spaced apart longitudinally of the housing, each of said joints being independently displaceable in relation to said assembly.

13. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the assembly has two props and the connecting means has piston and cylinder units each attached to one of the props, the units being operable independently of one another and being connected to the housing through said joints.

14. An installation according to claim 10, wherein the means connecting said control member to the conveyor is in the form of a connecting shoe rigidly affixed to said other side of the conveyor.

15. An installation according to claim 10, wherein the assembly is movable independently of the conveyor.

16. An arrangement for adjusting and controlling the guidance of a plough movable along one side of a conveyor operably associated with a roof support assembly; comprising:

a. at least one resilient control member disposed between the other side of the conveyor and said assembly; b. means rigidly connecting said member to the conveyor;

c. means connecting said member to the assembly, and d. means for ;isplacing the control member vertically in relation to said assembly to cause the control member and hence the conveyor to assume various angular positions. 

1. An arrangement for adjusting and controlling the guidance of a plough movable along one side of a conveyor operably associated with a roof support assembly; comprising: a. at least one control member disposed between the other side of the conveyor and said assembly; b. means rigidly connecting said member to the other side of the conveyor, and c. means connecting said member to the assembly in such manner as to permit said member to be vertically displaced at the assembly to thereby cause said member and the conveyor to assume various angular positions in relation to the assembly.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein two control members are provided, each control member being in the form of a leaf spring.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes a housing slidably receiving said member, the housing being attached to the support assembly through two joints spaced apart longitudinally of the housing, each joint being independently displaceable in relation to said assembly.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said connecting means further comprises piston and cylinder units each attached to one of the props of the support assembly, the units being operable independently of one another and being connected to said housing through said joints.
 5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said control member is in the form of a leaf spring.
 6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control member is resilient.
 7. An arrangement for controlling the guidance of a plough movable along one side of a conveyor operably associated with a roof support assembly; comprising: a. at least one control member connected between the other side of the conveyor and said assembly; b. a housing slidably receiving said member, and c. means connecting said housing to the support assembly, d. said connecting means comprising two joints spaced apart longitudinally of the housing, and e. each joint being independently displaceable in relation to the assembly.
 8. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein two control members are provided, each member being in the form of a leaf spring.
 9. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said connecting means has piston and cylinder units each attached to one of the props of the support assembly, the units being operable independently of one another and being connected to said housing through said joints.
 10. A mineral mining installation comprising: a. a conveyor; b. a guide rail carried at one side of the conveyor and adapted to receive and guide a plough; c. a movable support assembly; d. at least one control member for controlling the guidance of the plough, said member being disposed between the support assembly and the other side of the conveyor; e. means rigidly connecting said member to the conveyor; and f. means connecting said member to the assembly so as to permit the member to be vertically displaced at the assembly to assume various angular positions.
 11. An installation according to claim 10, wherein two control members are provided, each control member being in the form of a leaf spring.
 12. An installation according to claim 10, wherein said connecting means includes a housing slidably receiving said control member, the housing being attached to the support assembly through two joints spaced apart longitudinally of the housing, each of said joints being independently displaceable in relation to said assembly.
 13. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the assembly has two props and the connecting means has piston and cylinder units each attached to one of the props, the units being operable independently of one another and being connected to the housing through said joints.
 14. An installation accordIng to claim 10, wherein the means connecting said control member to the conveyor is in the form of a connecting shoe rigidly affixed to said other side of the conveyor.
 15. An installation according to claim 10, wherein the assembly is movable independently of the conveyor.
 16. An arrangement for adjusting and controlling the guidance of a plough movable along one side of a conveyor operably associated with a roof support assembly; comprising: a. at least one resilient control member disposed between the other side of the conveyor and said assembly; b. means rigidly connecting said member to the conveyor; c. means connecting said member to the assembly, and d. means for displacing the control member vertically in relation to said assembly to cause the control member and hence the conveyor to assume various angular positions. 